Eddie Mathews vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Ted Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 as a hitter; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 home runs; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ted Williams, with 521 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Ted Williams, with 1,839 to Eddie Mathews's 1,453.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Eddie Mathews's 45,555.
- Who won more championships? Eddie Mathews, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Eddie Mathews
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews and Ted Williams. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eddie Mathews | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,391 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 8,537 | 7,706 |
| Runs | 1,509 | Leads: 1,798 |
| Hits | 2,315 | Leads: 2,654 |
| Doubles | 354 | Leads: 525 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 71 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 521 |
| RBI | 1,453 | Leads: 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,444 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 68 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .376 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .885 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Eddie Mathews 96,302 to 45,555 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,069 PIV per season to 2,531, across 19 seasons to 18. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Eddie Mathews — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ted Williams leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Eddie Mathews owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ted Williams. PIV agrees: Ted Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Eddie Mathews and Ted Williams careers compare
Eddie Mathews and Ted Williams were active at the same time between 1952 and 1960. With 2,391 games against 2,292 across 18 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Eddie Mathews are games (2,391 to 2,292), at-bats (8,537 to 7,706), and triples (72 to 71). Plate discipline differs: Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444), but Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). In slugging percentage, Ted Williams holds the edge, .634 to .509. Ted Williams owns the better peak by OPS: 1.033 OPS in 1953 for Eddie Mathews against 1.287 OPS in 1941 for Ted Williams.
Eddie Mathews vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Williams leads Eddie Mathews in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Ted Williams, with 521 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Ted Williams, with 2,654 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.